Tag Archives: Bonnie Raitt

I’ve got what it takesBut it breaks my heart to give it awayShe said I’ve got what it takesBut it breaks my heart to give it awayIt’s in demandFolks cryin’ for it every dayI’ve been saving it up for a long long timeTo give it away would be more than a crime

and Robert Johnson wrote

When a woman gets in trouble, everybody throws her down
Lookin’ for her good friend, none can’t be found
You better come on in my kitchen, baby, it’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoors

and Maya Angelou wrote

I say,It’s the fire in my eyes,And the flash of my teeth,The swing in my waist,And the joy in my feet.I’m a womanPhenomenally,Phenomenal woman,That’s me.

I’ll be honest, when I started thinking of this week’s show, I’d forgotten that March is Women’s History Month. I was actually inspired by a connection from our last show, in which I realized that there was a strong line of influence between some of the artists I played. Laura Nyro was inspired by Nina Simone and Nyro, in turn, inspired many musicians. And Simone was influenced by the huge artists that came before her: Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and others. So I started thinking “Can we draw a line from Bessie Smith to the contemporary singers of today?” And I decided that we could.

Now, I could have spent weeks preparing a scholarly musical lesson on women in popular music of the twentieth century. I’m sorry, but I have neither the time nor the expertise. So, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve picked songs from women artists starting with Bessie Smith and moving chronologically through the century to Erykah Badu, and I think that you can argue that each successive artist was influenced by the previous one(s). We’ll hear from Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, and move into Nyro, Mitchell, Joplin, Raitt, and eventually Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill and wind up with Mary J Blige and we’ll close with Erykah Badu.

I’d be starting arguments if I said I was including the most important women singers/songwriters of the twentieth century here. Don’t want to do that. This is subjective. But there is something for everyone on this show, and I do think this is at least a good faith effort to connect the dots between Bessie and Badu.

I hope you like it. Let me know what you think, as always.

Today on Great River Radio, coming to you from the University of St. Thomas’ KUST.

Every morning is a fresh beginning,Listen my soul to the glad refrain.And, spite of old sorrowsAnd older sinning,Troubles forecastedAnd possible pain,Take heart with the day and begin again.

Susan Coolidge

Happy New Year from Great River Radio! We are coming back to you this afternoon with our favorites (we aren’t going to use the word ‘best’ for this list) from 2012. It was a very good year for music, in our opinion. From a long list of great songs, we’ve come up with a playlist that you’re going to love.

If you’ve been listening and paying attention to GRR in the last year, you’ll know many of these songs, but I guarantee that you’ll hear some things that will be new to you, as well. Nick Waterhouse and Australia’s Tame Impala will kick the show off with energy and their neo sounds of R&B and psychedelia. Trampled By Turtles, The Pines and Chastity Brown will represent the many local artists who had a good year in 2012. The old masters will be represented by Leonard Cohen, Greg Brown, Dr. John and Mr. Bruce Springsteen. Young artists we saw and loved last year are on this list, too, including Patrick Watson, John Fullbright and Field Report. And if you are expecting Dylan, here is what I’ll do for you: two of the best Dylan covers I’ve ever heard.

I think you’ll like this show – and let me know what you loved in 2012 that I missed.

This afternoon on Great River Radio, coming to you from the University of St. Thomas’ KUST.

Follow, follow the sun
And which way the wind blows
When this day is done
Breathe, breathe in the air
Set your intentions
Dream with care
Tomorrow’s a new day for everyone
A brand new moon and brand new sun

When you feel life coming down on you like a heavy weightWhen you feel this crazy society adding to the strain
Take a stroll to the nearest water’s edge, remember your placeMany moons have risen and fallen long, long before you came

So which way is the wind blowing
What does your heart saySo follow, follow the sunAnd which way the wind blowsWhen this day is done

Xavier Rudd “Follow the Sun”

It is the final week of this academic year on campus, and students are working through their exams and final projects – they are busy and tired and sleep deprived, surviving on coffee. At the same time, the weather has been spectacular and all living things seem to be happy – especially the plants, but also the dog who wants to spend the day dozing in the green grass. On a morning walk today, Finn noticed a mother opossum and several little ones squirming around her while she sat stone still. A bit later, we passed an eagle sitting in a tree and staring at the river, looking for fish, I guess. The scent of lilacs is heavy in the air and the dandelions have passed from bright yellow to puffs of seeds drifting off in the breeze. We are now heading into the lightest, brightest part of the year with long warm days ahead.

As we walked, we listened to this new song from Australia’s Xavier Rudd, who is coming out with a new record next month. I decided to do another Great River Radio this afternoon, one more in this odd season of irregular programs. I’ve got a list of new stuff that has been accumulating over the last few weeks. Since the last show, we’ve travelled to California, heard a few musical acts, and worked hard to wind down the year. We’ll celebrate the last days of school with music from Katie Herzig, Trampled by Turtles, Anais Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright and Justin Townes Earle. Have you seen the Volvo commercial with Laura Gibson’s version of the old Sam the Sham hit “Little Red Riding Hood”? She’s now released that and we’ll share it with you. We’ll do a gospel set – just because – with music from The Civil Wars, The Brothers Frantzich, Iris Dement and Delaney and Bonnie.

We’ll also include a set of neo and real soul – from The Alabama Shakes, Nick Waterhouse and The Staple Singers.

I think you’ll like it – listen while you work, or check in later and listen from the blog. And enjoy the day!

Word has reached us tonight that the great Levon Helm is in the last stages of death. Levon played drums and sang with The Band in the heyday of 60’s and 70’s rock and roll, doing the smartest and most sophisticated music of almost anyone (not to mention serving as the godfathers of Americana.) Backing up Bob Dylan, they were simply “the band” and they were driven by Levon’s drumming and his soulful vocals. Yes, Levon and Robbie Robertson might have experienced some tensions. But history was made by those guys and it would not have been the same without Levon. Mr. Helm learned of his throat cancer a decade ago but continued to make music by himself and with his huge crowd of friends and fans. We’ll honor Levon this afternoon, pay him our sincerest respects and wish him Godspeed.

We’ve also got a special set devoted to a bright member of the next generation of musicians – Jack White, who has a new record coming out in the next few weeks. It is a good time to take a look at Jack’s work over the last 20 years – as a member of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, his solo work, his movie work and his brilliant productions of the previous generation, including Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson.

We’ll also have music from Ingrid Michaelson, Now,Now, Trampled by Turtles, Ray Wylie Hubbard and we’re going to close with my favorite song from Bonnie Raitt’s new Slipstream – the Joe Henry penned “God Only Knows.”

This and more this afternoon from Great River Radio.

Please join us from 4:15-5:45 p.m. for Great River Radio or later on the blog. I think you’ll like it.

Playlist
South of the River-Ray Wylie Hubbard
Midnight On The Interstate-Trampled by Turtles
All The Rowboats-Regina Spektor
Ghost-Ingrid Michaelson
Thread-Now, Now
Seven Nation Army-The White Stripes
Icky Thump-The White Stripes
Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn-The White Stripes
Steady As She Goes-The Raconteurs
Sittin’ On Top Of The World-Jack White
Portland Oregon-Loretta Lynn
Thunder On The Mountain-Wanda Jackson
Love Interruption-Jack White
Don’t Do It (Baby Don’t You Do It)-The Band
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down-The Band
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free-Levon Helm
Listening To Levon-Marc Cohn
God Only Knows-Bonnie Raitt

The Road goes ever on and onDown from the door where it began.Now far ahead the Road has gone,And I must follow, if I can,Pursuing it with eager feet,Until it joins some larger wayWhere many paths and errands meet.And whither then? I cannot say.

J R R Tolkien

Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary to humankind. Walking is the exact balance of spirit and humility.

Gary Snyder “The Etiquette of Freedom”

Today on Great River Radio we’ll be doing an entire show on the theme of walking. Dan has been walking more than running lately, due to a (hopefully minor) knee problem. Walking in St. Paul and Minneapolis, along the Mississippi River and seeing the river flowing, the trees losing their leaves, the barges moving slowly upstream, and catching the eyes of fellow walkers, some solitary and quiet, others side by side and animated, one begins to experience a different kind of world, the outside world, the world of trees, grass, crows, dogs, rivers and sky. There is a different awareness of the body in nature. You see the world up close. The legs are moving, the heart is pumping and the blood is flowing. It is life. It is humility and solitude and a sweet kind of meditation.

Many songs have been written about walking and we’re sure that many titles are springing to your mind right now. Today, we’ll play some of them, and introduce you to a few new ones. People walk away, they walk when they are blue, they walk when they are happy, they walk home. And, sometimes, people run.

We’ll hear classics from Patsy Cline (the first song you thought of?), Dionne Warwick (the second?), as well as bluesmen Paul Butterfield and Robert Lockwood – walking has been the subject of some great blues tunes. God walks, too, and we’ll hear from Iris Dement and The Blind Boys of Alabama on that topic. Tune in this afternoon for these and more from Greg Brown, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Stacey Earle, Yo La Tengo, Vampire Weekend and Cloud Cult. You may even want to download this show for later walks with your iPod.

(NOTE: the audio quality of this show wasn’t up to our standards, so we’ll not be providing it this week. We’ll spare you the explanation, but promise that it will be better next week. Pity, because it was a good show! Check out the playlist below.)

Sunshine, sunshine, it’s fine
I feel it in my skin
Warming up my mind
Sometimes you gotta give in to win
I love the days when it shines
Whoa, let it shine
– Atmosphere

Welcome back, Great River Radio listeners!

It’s been an eventful summer (to put it kindly), and it’s hard to believe fall is sneaking up on us. Students have arrived on campus, signaling the start of new things – new faces, new music and the beginning of Great River Radio’s fifth season. Can you believe it?!

We have a few exciting changes to announce:
1) Great River Radio is moving to Wednesdays. (That’s TODAY!)
2) The show will now run 90 minutes. We’ll begin at 4:15 p.m. and end at 5:45 p.m. This is will give us a little more time to transition into and out of the studio
3) We’re going to try to keep a Facebook page updated with show info and reminders. You can “Like” us at the Great River Radio Facebook page.
4) We’re working on a podcast or download option for those of you requesting a more mobile Great River Radio show

Fortunately, most things won’t change. A special thanks to the dozens of listeners who participated in our survey last month. Your support and kind comments are greatly appreciated. You made it clear that you love the weekly “Confluence” segment, and we now have dozens of your theme suggestions to use for inspiration. We also share your desire to hear Minnesota music, so we’ll be making our usual rounds to local clubs and digging into the vast KUST MP3 library to find up-and-coming artists you can support in your own backyard (this is literally the case for Dan & Lisa!). We’ll also try to maintain our delicate – and apparently effective – balance of music and discussion.

Most important? Great River Radio starts today!

We couldn’t be more excited to kick off season five of Great River Radio. We’ve been pulling songs from our summer playlists – selections you may have missed, tunes we can’t resist, and songs that defined long summer drives or helped us endure long summer recoveries. You’ll hear tracks from Broken Bells, The National, Black Keys, Blue Rodeo, Ane Brun, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. We’ll have great new music from Arcade Fire, Cee Lo and Sufjan Stevens. And there will be plenty of new, local music from the likes of Jeremy Messersmith, Cloud Cult, Peter Wolf Crier, Twilight Hours and Young Man.